I am 60 years old and have been working out on and off for pretty much all of my life, but never scientifically. Well, I purchased a heart rate monitor and now have a question about which would be a better workout. I usually do 45 minutes a day on an elliptical, keeping my HR at about 70-75%. Would I be better off doing 30 minutes of HIIT?

I am 60 years old and have been working out on and off for pretty much all of my life, but never scientifically. Well, I purchased a heart rate monitor and now have a question about which would be a better workout. I usually do 45 minutes a day on an elliptical, keeping my HR at about 70-75%. Would I be better off doing 30 minutes of HIIT?

Depends on what you mean by "better." You might burn more calories, but then you might stress your joints more as well. If you are looking for health benefits, lower intensity is probably fine. If you are looking to improve your ability to play a sport that requires explosive bouts of power, then HIIT makes sense.

Jeremy

Thanks Jeremy, health benefits are my main concern.

I dont think HIIT would be a good idea for a 60yr old, its a very intense workout and I dont even reccommend it to people in their 20s and 30s if they have not already built a good fitness base.

Stick to your longer, low intensity workouts and like Jeremy said, you will reap greater overall health benefits.

Marcus :tucool:

Thanks Marcus, Low intensity, longer workouts are fine with me.